HAMILTON — Only 20 feet separated the dressing rooms but the emotions of the players in those rooms were miles apart.

On one side, Corpus Christi Longhorn players emerged and buried their heads in the shoulder of a parent. From the M.M. Robinson Rams’ room, there were shouts and players thrusting their helmets into the air as ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ blared from a portable stereo.

Minutes earlier on the field, even the Robinson players struggled to find the words to describe their shocking 19-6 upset of the Longhorns, a team that not only entered Thursday’s Halton senior boys’ football final undefeated, but also as the third ranked high school team in the country.

“It feels too good to be real,” said Jesse Myers, who set the tone by returning the opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. “I don’t know what else to say. It’s great to win this with my friends after so many years.”

Facing a team that few gave them a hope of beating — Corpus Christi’s average margin of victory in its seven wins was 23 points, including a 40-21 win over the Rams a month ago — Robinson proved there truly was no mountain they couldn’t climb.

“Most people said it was going to be a blowout,” said Jon Howard, who ran for 80 yards and a touchdown. “We haven’t been appreciated all season. Today, we showed what we can do. We’ve got some great players on this team who can change a game in a second.”

It actually took 16 seconds for Myers to announce that the Rams would not just lie down for the Longhorns. After the opening kickoff bounded past him, he scrambled back and scooped it up on his own five-yard line. After dodging a couple of tacklers, he broke free and raced down the sideline untouched to stake Robinson to an early lead.

“That got me really excited and I think it got the rest of the team going,” said Tyler Lee. “It gave us, not so much confidence, but reassurance, that we could win.”

Myers, it turned out, was just getting started. He would figure prominently on a Rams defence that showed an incredible knack for delivering a game-changing play every time it needed one.

Looking unfazed by the Rams’ opening score, the Longhorns marched the ball down the field on their first possession. Led by Leigh Szela, who had 109 yards while filling in for the injured Aaron Veltri, Corpus Christi covered 62 yards in eight plays to move the ball inside the Robinson five-yard line. However, Myers snuffed out the drive when he picked off a pass in the end zone.

It was the first of five Longhorn turnovers inside the Rams’ 20-yard line, including three inside the five. On Corpus Christi’s second possession, the Longhorns had a third and goal at the one but Kyle Hallett stuffed Szela at the goal line.

“We showed we could move the ball, but they don’t measure yards,” said Longhorns coach Dino Borchetta. “They measure touchdowns and points on the board. Every time we got deep in their end, we weren’t even getting field goals, we were getting zeros. It wasn’t us not finishing, it was more them coming up with big plays. That’s a testament to their defence.”

M.M. Robinson would stretch its lead to 12-0 with a 20-yard Jordan Camp field goal just before the half and a conceded safety early in the third quarter.

After failing to generate little in the middle two quarters, the Longhorns appeared to have their offence back on track in the fourth. Thomas Riolo completed five straight passes — three of them to Connor Cooke. But just as it looked like the Longhorns would mount a late challenge, Riolo was picked off at the Rams’ 14 by Lee, who ran the ball back to midfield. Robinson had to punt three plays later, but the Rams stripped the ball on the return and Myers jumped on the loose ball on the Longhorns 10-yard line.

Howard would punch it in from a yard out four plays later to make it 19-0, and with just 1:38 left, seemingly seal the victory.

The Longhorns would not go down without a fight, though. Riolo and Ben Field would hook up for a 72-yard touchdown on the Longhorns next play from scrimmage. After recovering an onside kick, Corpus Christi had first and goal at the Robinson one-yard line.

with 32 seconds still on the clock. Almost fittingly, the Rams’ Jacob Jones would recover a fumble to seal the victory.

Most Robinson players were still toddlers, or not even born yet, when the Rams last won the Halton title. Rams coach Marcello Campanaro was on the sidelines calling plays for those back-to-back titles in 1993 and 1994.

“These days have a lingering effect,” Campanaro said. “The guys from those ’93 and ’94 teams, those games are what they have as high school memories. Today, that’s what these guys are going to remember.”

And what a memory that will be.
For a photo gallery of the game, click here.